Cylindrical die construction and die assembly



July 20, 1937. L 2 082512 I CYLIND JR ICAL DIEK CONSTRUCTION AND DIE ASSEMBLY F1led Nov. 30; 1956 K. i 3: Z6 Z7 C/auac C f/a/l z; W, 24 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented July 20, 1937 CYLINDRECAL DIE CONSTRUCTION AND DEE ASSEMBLY 5 Claims.

This invention relates to dies adapted to the manufacture of compressed animal feeds, and it particularly relates to cylindrical shaped dies used in connection with molding apparatus of 5 the type in which a conglomerate mass is acted upon by rollers and forced through. a foraminous cylindrical die.

Actual tests have definitely proved that the resistance offered by a die to the passage of a conglomerate mass as it is continually forced through the perforations in the die creates a considerable amount of frictional heat with a consequent expansion of the foraminated die. It has also been found that the die supporting and retaining member and the die retaining and reinforcing collar also become heated through conduction, but do not expand as rapidly or as much as the die. Unless provision is made for this ex pansion of the die, it is forced to operate under 20 strain. Furthermore; experience has shown that,

when a die which has operated under the foregoing conditions, is permitted to cool off, it becomes smaller in diameter. Consequently, when the same die is sought to be used, it will not, without some changes being made, fit properly into its seat on the die supporting and retaining member. And oftentimes, when a die which has gone through the experience above related, it will break when used a second time, because the die itself cannot withstand the pressure to which it is subjected unless it is reinforced by the two retaining members.

To overcome and avoid these inherent disadvantages, provision is made by my invention whereby the die supporting and retaining member and the die retaining and reinforcing collar may be loosened or tightened around the die and thus provide at all times a proper working condition for the die. Furthermore, provision is also made, by dividing the die into two semi-circular sections, for a nominal amount of expansion of the die; and, if necessary, during the operation of the apparatus, the die supporting and retaining member and the die retaining and reinforcing collar may be loosened to afford greater expansion.

An additional feature of the invention may be found in the ease with which a die may be replaced without the necessity of dismantling any portion of the apparatus, and also it is possible to remove but one semi-circular section, if for any reason it is desired to do so, and replace it with another.

My present invention is closely related to a feed forming machine of the type illustrated, de-

scribed and claimed in my United States application for an improvement in Feed forming machines, Serial No. 88,766. The essential difierence between the die construction and die assembly disclosed in the pending application and the 5 present invention herein set forth is in the provision of means whereby the die may expand or contract without fear of any deleterious results and which permit and facilitate the removal of the die from the apparatus.

While, as pointed out, this invention is closely related to my pending application, the invention may be incorporated and used with other feed forming machines with equal advantage, since all the invention contemplates is to provide the changes heretofore referred to which will overcome the disadvantages pointed out in the foregoing.

The quintessence of this invention is to provide means whereby the die may expand or contract without fear of being rendered useless.

Another object of the invention is to provide a die supporting and retaining member which is adapted to be tightened or loosened around the base of the die. 7 25 Still another object of the invention is to provide a die retaining and reinforcing collar which is adapted to be tightened or loosened around the top of the die.

An equally important object of the invention is to provide a tapered foraminated die composed of two semi-circular sections.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for raising or lowering the die in order to attain the desired relation between the die and u the remainder of the apparatus.

Another object of my invention is to provide a die which may be easily secured to or removed from the rest of the apparatus with which it is used. 40

The primary object of my invention is to provide a die which permits an even distribution of the conglomerate mass being processed on the inner face of the die so that the resulting compressed material which is extruded through the openings'of the die possess substantially uniform density.

Another object of the invention is to provide a die which is durable in construction and adapted for use for a relatively long period of time without fear of uneven wear or deterioration and which may be replaced when the deterioration sets in without the loss of time and with little efiort.

The invention is directed to other objects and and in which:

Figure l is an elevational view, partially in section and partially broken away, .of a cylindrical die and die assembly embodying the principles of my invention;

Figure 2 is a top .view, partially broken away,

taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated, showing the constructional details of the apparatus embodying the principles of my invention; e

Figure3 is an elevational view .of one of the cylindrical die sections embodying the principles of 'my invention; and

Figure l is an end View, taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated, showing the manually operated means for raising or lowering the die. 7

Like. reference characters are employed to designate identical parts throughout the several views of the drawing. a e

In Figure l is shown a fragment of a frame I possessing a conventional design, the details of construction of which need not be shown or described, because it does not apply directly to this invention. A portion of a shaft 2 is also shown as well as a pair of roller supporting members 3 and 4 and a plurality of tapered rollers 5. ,All of the foregoing members and elements are merely illustrative of a feed forming apparatus to which my invention may be applied, but the principles of which may be applied to other feed forming apparatus. a

A main supporting block 6 is rotatably disposed about shaft 2 as its axis. An annular ledge 1 extends upwardly from this block 6, and the top surface of thisledge 1 has a plurality of inclined cams 8 formed therein.

A split annular die supporting and retaining member!) has an equal number of inclined cams It incorporated within its base. These cams are identical in area and complementary in inclination to cams 8. It maybe graphically seen in Figures 1 and fl that when the base of the die sup-porting and retaining member is placed upon ledge I, cams 8 and ID are positioned in intimate complementary relation. 7 I

A stop lug extends from the side of the die supporting and retaining member 9; and a lug |2, having a threaded opening therein, extends from the side of ledge I. These lugs are in reg isterablealignment with each other. An adjust- V 'rnent'screw member I3 is disposed Within the opening in lug I2 and the head M of the adjustment screw contacts at alltimes the stop lug By this arrangement, it becomesapparent that,

as the adjustmentscrew |3 is turned so that the head is moved away-from lug 12, the die suprnent screw |3. A pair of lugs porting and retaining member 9, is forced to ride upon the inclined complementary planes formed by cams 8 and. If). its a result of this action,

the die supportingand retaining member .9 is

raisedor lowered in proportion to thedistance the two-lugs I and I2 are kept apart by adjust- |5 6 .jextend from" the side of the die supporting and retaining member 9 and each has an opening that is in register- 7 able alignment with eachother. A- bolt I 1 passesthrough these openings and nut I8 is threaded die which has yet to be described. This provision is necessary and desirable because the thickness of the working surface of the die may be variedi and when the thickness of the die is greater than shown in the drawing, the added thickness of the die extends over the inclined surface 20.

The function of this structure The die, generally designated by reference character A, is composed of two semi-circular segments 2| and 22. The position of these two segments with respect to each other may best be seen in Figure 2. For an illustration ofthe Structural details of each of the segments, reference.

should be made to Figure 3.1 The description of this segment, which, for convenience, will be numbered 2|, should sufiice for both segments 2| and 22, since they each possess identical features and contours.

Segment 2| has ends 23 and 24 which register with like ends on segment 22, when the two seg ments are positioned in working relation. Each segment also has a semi-circular integral ledge '25formed at its base 26.

The main or working portion 21 of each segment tapers outwardly and has a plurality of passages or openings 28 disposed therethrough at right angles to the inner andouter faces of the working portion 21.

7 Although these passages are shown in the drawing to be circular in shape, it is obvious that the size, shape and position 'of the passages may be varied to suit the needs of manufacturing feeds of different shapes. r

A shoulder 29 is formed adjacent the top 30 of each segment, the value of which will be pointed out shortly. V V

It is advisable atthis time to point out that the ledge 25 of each die segment is formed sothat it sitsupon seat I9 formed in the die supporting and retaining member 9, when the two segments 2| and 22 are placed in working relation to each other. It is possible then to tighten the die sup- ;porting and retaining memberaround the ledge 25 by the conventional manipulation of the bolt and nut |8. This arrangement insures not to permit the collar to engage a portion. of the 7 top 30 of each segment; also to engage the shoulder 29 of each segment.

Lugs 33 and 34 extend from the side of the die retaining and reinforcing collar 3| and each has an opening which is registerably aligned. A bolt 7 35 passes through the openingsand a nut 36 isthreaded upon the bolt in the conventional manner. By this arrangement, not only are the two segments 2| and 22 held together, butthetop of each of the die segments is reinforced.

From the foregoing description, it will undoubtedly appear that the invention as described satisfies the objects and points out the advantages claimed for this invention; While the in vention' has been described in connection with a specific embodiment, it should be understood that variantsthereof are possible to those skilled in the art. The invention, therefore, in its broader aspect, isnot limited to the specific'construction herein shown and described, since changes and alterations maybe made in the proportions and arrangements of the various parts Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and upon which I desire to secure Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a feed forming machine of the type having a plurality of rollers, of a foraminated cylindrical die surrounding said rollers, said die consisting of two semi-circular segments, the faces of which are tapered, means for supporting and retaining said die segments in working relation to each other, means for retaining and reinforcing the top portions of said die segments and means for simultaneously raising or lowering said die segments when desired.

2. A device characterized as in claim 1 wherein the means for supporting and retaining said die segments consists of a split annular member having an annular seat therein, and lugs registerably aligned adapted to be joined to effect a tight connection between the die segments and ing block, said block having a multi-cammed annular ledge extending upwardly therefrom, a split annular die supporting and retaining member having a multi-cammed base, positioned upon the ledge of said block so that the respective cams are in complementary inclined relation with each other, a tapered foraminated cylindrical die composed of two semi-circular segments positioned upon and secured by said supporting and retaining member, means secured to said supporting block and said supporting and retaining member for raising or lowering said die, and a split retaining and reinforcing collar positioned upon the top portion of said die.

5. A foraminated cylindrical tapered die comprising two semi-circular segments, each segment having a ledge extending from its base and a shoulder formed adjacent its top, a split annular die supporting and retaining member havingan annular seat therein, the ledge of each die segment adapted to sit upon said seat, means incorporated within said die supporting and retaining member for effecting a tight connection between the two die segments and said member, a split annular retaining and reinforcing collar having an annular seat therein, said collar adapted to be seated upon the top portion of said die segments so that it covers the shoulder of each die segment and means for tightening said collar around said shoulder to thereby retain said die segments together.

CLAUDE C. HALL. 

